Salvage apparatus



Dec. 19, 1933. J. ROMANO SALVAGE APPARATUS Filed Oct. 12. 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet l Des. 19, 1933. J ROMANO 1,940,326

SALVAGE APPARATUS Patented Dec. 19, 1933 umrss smrss PATENT" SALVAGE APPARAIUS Eugene J. Romano, Seattle, Wash; Application October 12, 1931. Serial No. 568,374 3 Claims. (Cilll4 -53i My invention relates to salvage operations, and more especially to apparatfls intended for attachment to, and thereafter the lifting of, sunken Amorig the objects of my present invention are:

To facilitate the application of lifting lines depending from a submersible buoy to a sunken vessel;

Tcdistribute the lifting efiort from each such buoy over diierent partsof the vessel, and to cause individual lifting efforts to overlap;

To permit disconnection of the control and in dicating apparatus on the salvage vesse1 without disconnection of lines to the buoys, whereby in case of rough weather approaching, this apparatusmay be thrown overboard t0 fioat until the weather enables the resumption of operations;

T0 indicate to the attendant upon the salvage vessel the depth of waterthat is, the level of the water within each buoy-sa that it may be daterinined what proportion of its total lifting efiort is being exerted at any given time;

To provide means enabling the employment of buoys With reduced dependent necks, as disclosed in a 'copending application filed herewith, aspe- Cially when such buoys are'broght close alongside the sunken vessel.

My invention comprises the novel salvage apr paratus,,and the novel arrangement of parts theren, as shown in the accompanying drawihgs, deseribed in the specification, and as Will be more particularly pointed out by the claims which V terminate the same.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown my invention in forms now prerred by me.

Figure 1 is a general elevation of a salvage 'operation, showing buoys attached to a sunken vessel, and ready to raise the same.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a detail, showing the manner of attachingthe lifting lines to the vessel to be raised.

Figure 3 is' a view looking aft of a vessel with buoys attached thereto, according to one plan.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, and Figure 5 is a bottom plan view, showing buoys at-' tached according to a plan different from that illustrated in Figure 3.

Figure 6 is an elevation of the essential c0ntrol apparatus disconneetable from the salvage vessel, andFigu're 7 is an end view thereof.

Figure 8'is an elevation,with parts broken away, of a buoy.

Figure 9 is an electrical diagram of the connections whereby the water level in each buoy isyindicated.

and illustrated by way of 'example in Figure 1 as the buoys 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27. I prefer that'ach of these buoys have a depending nor mally open neck 28, and rings 29, to which lifting lines 3 are attached. Preferably at least four such lifting lines depend from each buoy, and these are intended to be secured by suitable means, sueh as the hookS 30, to the vessel V at separated points. Thus, as is shown in Figure 2 the hooks are engaged in port holes P of the vessel V, and in order that they may bettached with a minimum of effort, and without the necessity of a diver going t0 a spot immediately beneath the buoy to secure a line, then to carry it off at a distance and attach it, Which Operations Obvioslywifl be difficult under water, with little light to aid, and in spots where the vessel or the bottom may heinclined or rough, I prefer to employ spreader means consisting, as shown, of telescoping struts 31, 32,

provided with 'means such as the set serevsis 33 to hold them in propar position. Such spreaderSexvessel to which these lines are to be 'attaohed.

The spreaders ma either be seeur'ed to thelines 3 above their' hooks 30, or extensions 34 maybe ropped from the corners of the spreader, but

secured to the lines 3, these extensions 34carrying the means to attach to the vessel. Obviously' the pattern formed by the spreaders 31', 32 may be other than rectangular, as for-instance, in attaching to the bow .or to the sterna triangular tern may be preferable.

Connected to each buoy, and extending'upward to the salvage vesseI S, are air, hoses generally designated by the humeral 4, and in particular consisting of the hoses 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 45 and 47, connecting to the respective buoys 22 to 27 inclusive. Air is supplied through these hosesfrom a suitable source of .'air under pressure, loated upon the salvage vessel, and typified by the-air pressure tank 49. From this source air is conducted through suitable valve means, to be'depat- scribed later, to each one of the buoys, through the hose connected thereto, and in this'way sufficient liftingefifort is developed to raise the ves in a single casing 5, provided with a main valve 50 between and the pressure supply tank49,

and having in the connection to the tank a quick detachable coupling means, indieated at 59. It is also provided With individual valves for the individual hose lines, these being indicated at 51, 52, 53, 55,56, 57, etc. The individual hoses may likewise have gauges connected in their respective limes, such gauges being indicated at 65, 66 and 67 in Figure 6, connecting to the respective lines 45, 46 and 47.

The valve means is provided with a mounting arrangement, indicated at 58, to secure it uponthe salvage vessel, out of such character that it can be quickly removed, and when thus removed, the coupling 59 beingyreleased and the main valve 50 being .closed, the entire casing may be thrown overboard, and is of such size and is provided with an air space whereby it Will fioat, and Will sustain the weight of the hoses and other'lines attached thereto, so that it may remain at the site of the operation while' the salvage vess el seeks slielr,

and. can be picked up again when the weather enables resumptionof operations.

Theoperation in general Will be understood from the drawings. Each buoy is partly or whc5lly filled 'With water, until itsubmerges,and is let down by a crane or derrick D uponthe salvage vessel, spreader means 31, 32 li'aving beeh se curedto its lifting lines 3 in advance, if that is found necessary. A diver thon attaches the lifting linestotlx veSsel, and air is admittedthrough the hose 4= under pressure to expel the water frein Within the buoy 2 through the open neck 28. The buoy will shortly tend to fioat, and may be left in. this position, net exerting any great lifting effort, until all the buoy s are attached, where upon air is supplied to all of them, simultaneously, or preliminarly to those which the survey has shown to require the greatest lifting efort,

until the vessel is ra1sed free of the bottom, When the buoys Will carry it up untilthey;fioat at the surface. 7

' It becomes obvious that it'is deSirable to know how much water has been orced out ofjeach; buoy, or at least out of certain key louoys, and t0 that and I may provide floatcontrolled means in such buoys, connected to the salvage vessel 'by electrical or other suitable rneans,to indicate this levelof the water.

Thus inFigure 8 there isshotln a float 7 guidd V upon a rod for vertical movement Within. the

buoy, this' fioat car1*yihgarcontact 71 movable along aguide 72,where in are supported the sev eral 'common contacts 73, and theindividual con,

tactscomplementttlrthereto,,designatd 74, 75, 75 and 77.. Thse contacts 74, 75, 76 and 77 mavbe connected through plugs 78 to'suitable sockets 79 associated With the valve casingfl5, and likewise associated withthis valve casing are indicator.

means, generally designated'by. the 'nnmeral 8,-

andconsisting, for-exanrple, of the lights 84, 85, 86 and. 87. These correspondtothrespective contacts 74,75, 76 and.77, nd; as;tly lignt .up in turn, they indicate the level of the fio'at 7 in the buoy to which they are connected The electric leads connect to the respective bnos throu1 conduits 80.

In the connection of the lifting line, inthe manner describecl, it is niy preference, that th individual lines fromeachhnoy be so Srread that .they will overlap lines of the next adjacentbuiv;

in fact, I prefer that the line from each amidship buoy connect substantially at the same point as that to which is connected a lifting line of the next buoy but one. This is best illustrated in Figure 1, and byythis arrangement, it may be seen that the lifting eiort is distributed and overlapped, thus efecting a sort of selfadjusting bridle arrangement whereby the buoys aremaintained in their proper respective positions and later thestresses are so distributed that the vesSel is maintained properly upright.

The arrangement of lifting lines and their connection in the manner described is especially suitable to vessels which are partly buried in the bottom. Ihere are occasions, however, when it' 90 is possible to pass a line beneath the Vessel, such as indicated at 39in Figures 4 and 5. Where this is feasiole, it enables more of the buoys to be, positioned about a vessel, and to be brought down close alongSide, so that when the vessel is raised, it will ,be raieed higher in the.water. The form of buoy usclis preferable, sincethe restricted neck wilLprevent. loss of air from the buoy, aven though it may tilt and rock considerably, yet that type o buoy is not so well suitecl to be brought down alongside a vessel, and to have the line 39 -secured, as before, to the rings 29, because the exertion of the lifting efi'ect will tend to tilt the buoy consderabl and to twist the neck 2,8." To, prevent this, I p-refer that' there be employed spacing means to. holdfithe buoy outwardly rom the side of the vessel, these being indicated at 38 in Figures et and 5. The spaced meansmay take various forms, and may'be secured to the neck, if desired, extending thereabout, but.should be ofrsuchcharacras to eliminate any tendency for thebuoytoroll backward and forward along the side .of the vessel, and I have therefore shown them;as compri'sing spacecl.legs fitted at their joints about the neck 28 of the buoy. Th'esevvould bejfiXed.in p sition at the time .of

securing the lime.v 39.-

What I claim as, my invention is:

l. Salvage atpparatus. comprising a buoy, a pli1rality of lifting lines secured 'to.the'bottom of s'aid buoy, and spreader means adjustable in length connecting'. the lovver ends of the several' lines to maintain them.diverging in a prdeter mined pattern.

2. salva'gepapnaratns,cbrhprising a plurality of submersible buoysnormally open at the bottom, lifting lines extending fr0m said buoys to"points of securement to a vessel to be raised, .asonrke of air under pressure, air hoses extending uptxard from e'acn buoy, valve ineans including an indi vidualvlve foreaohhcse to place such base and its buoy in. communication. With. the air pressure source, thereby, to ;expel water,frcm the buoy, and togive it.buoyance, and quick.,detachable means to dis'con1et thevalve .means from the .ai rpres:

source, the'v.lve meansheinga fioa;table.

3. In salvage,;apbaratus, a..buo havingadepending restricteclneck ncrmally open to admit to its ii1terior,. lifting lines,seuredto its bottom and adaptedor lifting engagement. with a Vssel, to be .raisecl, closealong the side ,threoi, 'means t0 supply' air under pressure to expel water there f-ro1 n andto exert lifting-effort, and means spacing the n'eck from.the .vessels side,l to permit. the buoy to mtintain.anuiright position.

7 'EUGENE J. ROMANO; 

